Ok. I’ve a feeling this is gonna be a long one, so get a nice big cup of tea and make sure you’re sitting comfortably.
I hope, via a slightly convoluted path, to provide you with some concise reasons to try and make it through your dreadlock journey without turning to the dread wax. Many dreadlock websites are full of very clear opinions that you either should or should not wax your dreads, but often the reasons behind these views are not so well clarified, which I think is why many of us, despite thinking we have researched the subject well beforehand, end up putting money in the pockets of these companies selling products we don’t need, in order to make something which would create itself naturally if we did nothing at all to our hair.
Been thinking about dread wax a lot over the past couple of weeks. Been looking back through my old dreading progress pictures, reading a lot of waxy rants in forums, realising some things. With my growing incredulity that certain companies convinced some of us that wax is an essential part of growing dreads, despite endless forum threads of actual people with dreadlocks saying don’t don’t don’t put wax on your dreads, I’ve also become increasingly baffled at how to write this post with some shred of lucidity, without just creating one big splurging rant of disbelief.
So why, theoretically, are we meant to put wax on our dreads?
The instruction to wax is frequently directed at those who have chosen the fast route to growing (or, rather, making) dreadlocks, e.g. usually backcombing, rather than what some might consider the truly natural method of simply leaving your hair to do whatever its nature determines. We’re told to apply wax after backcombing, and of course to continue applying wax. (I’m can’t remember whether we’re told to carry on forever). Waxing dreadlocks makes them look a lot more like dreadlocks, especially when they’ve just been backcombed into frizz-sausages. If you have paid a salon to do your dreads, they’re hardly gonna let you leave with a weird head of frizz, and of course will use wax, with the bonus of immediately having a product sale to push on you.
Alright then, the initial advantage of dread wax is that it makes you look and feel like you have some proper dreadlocks from day one. It helps you and your new controversial hair fit back in with your friends/family/school/job. The key term here is “look like“.
So then is there perhaps an argument in favour of just using wax for a little while, in the first few weeks, until your dreads look a bit more together? Well, on the surface, yes. And yet, still, no. Think how scary it is the first time you wash your dreadlocks, how terrified you are that they’ll all just fall out and how gentle and un-disruptive you want to be towards them. It’s just backcombed hair at this point; lots of bunched up loops, not firmly tangled knots. Next, think about trying to wash hardened beeswax out of something…
I know in some of my earlier posts on waxing, before I’d come to see the matter clearly, I went to some lengths trying to figure out/explain why wax might help your hair to knot up. I’m not sure I was talking complete rubbish; I think there was some sense there. However, I had not carried the train of thought all the way through to its true end point. The idea that the wax, in the warmth from your head, is kept just soft enough to allow a small amount of hair movement and tangling to occur whilst the overall dreadlock is kept from unravelling, sort of sounds right. However, any dreadlocking progress the wax does permit/facilitate is totally counteracted and negated by the damage you do to fragile, newly backcombed dreads, by trying to wash it all out. That was the part I hadn’t thought about. It seems so obvious now, and such a ridiculous paradox, even more so when these “professional” dreadlock companies’ sites so insistently advocate the use of dread wax.
Even if the wax in your dreads has been holding things in place (or “gluing your dreads together”, to use a term favoured by many once they’re on a wax rant), and perhaps permitting some slow knot development, this forward step will be followed swiftly by two back-paces when you wash your hair. At this point, the reason for not using wax really becomes quite clear, because it’s exactly the same reason why you use residue-free shampoos, and completely quit any conditioning routine until your locks have locked. What is wax, really, if it’s not just one great big massive load of residue? And this is where my incredulity wants to fight with my lucidity and turn this post into “OMG WTF?!?!?” In the shower, as the wax melts, it turns from cement to lubricant, from not letting your dreads go anywhere, to wishing them briskly on their way.
Strangely, this doesn’t really seem to get mentioned very clearly on the sites where you are warned against waxing, which is possibly one reason why many of us still go ahead and use the stuff against all warnings. If you do lots of research before getting dreadlocks, you still probably won’t fully appreciate the nature of knot formation until you have actually had dreads for a while, and come to understand the way it happens. When you read forum threads filled with vitriolic sentiments opposing dreadlock wax, which don’t actually elucidate the details of how wax harms your dreadlocks, accompanied by plenty of advice on how to remove it, and pictures elsewhere on the internet of people with waxed dreadlocks looking just swell, it’s probably confusing. Granted, it’s often mentioned that any wax you fail to wash out could hold moisture in your dreadlocks, leading to fungal growth, bad smells and damage…but that’s one of those warnings very easily counterbalanced by an “it probably won’t happen to my dreads” attitude, such that it doesn’t really override your fear of looking like a dumbass during your early dready days. (I know that looks are not meant to be the point of growing dreadlocks, but it would be totally unrealistic to assume that everyone embarking on a dready journey starts off with 100% self-confidence in this area. “Am I gonna look stupid until my dreads are mature?” is a big question for many).
Hence this lengthy post trying explain things so you can make a better-informed decision about your dreadlock care. Although, you’d think that entire forums of experienced dreadheads versus just a couple of market-dominating companies would be sufficient persuasion in itself.
Marketing is a powerful thing, especially when its target audience is about to make a pretty big decision about their personal appearance, which is a delicate matter and important issue for many. The subject of dreadlocks isn’t that well catered for on the internet. The two biggest, best-designed, most professional-looking websites both say you should use dreadlock wax. They have pages and pages of advice, information, videos. They seem like really friendly nice people who would never want to ruin your hair. Dread Head HQ have an actual guy with actual dreadlocks chummily chatting away with you. Knotty Boy show a guy with a mass of frizzy ginger hair being transformed into a neat and waxy dreadhead. Why wouldn’t you buy their wax?! But you really really shouldn’t. Use their other products, fine. They may not be essential, and you could come up with homemade alternatives for all of them, but none of them are going to do the opposite of what it says on the packaging to the extent that wax will.
If you have already bought some wax, and don’t have any furniture nearby to polish, and really really want to put some on your new dreads, one possible way in which it may help more than hinder your dreadlocks is by “sealing” the tips for a while. When your dreads are newly backcombed, they’re prone to sliding down off of themselves. You may have read that securing the ends of your dreads with elastic bands at first is a good idea. Well maybe, but it looks kinda dumb, and the hair can eat up the elastic and it’ll disappear in there, becoming a blob of gunk that never goes away. So, if you must use some wax, I concede it may help secure the tips for a while. Then again, when you come to washing it out, it might just cause slidey unravelling, I’m not sure, so don’t hold me to that one! 
Ok, I’ll try to give a summary of why not to use dread wax:
- it’s a pain to wash out
- if you fail to wash it all out, you are at risk of sealing in moisture and cultivating fungi
- it cements your dreads in place, disguising them as mature dreads, whilst actually hindering their maturation
- when it melts it behaves like all those residues you are supposed to avoid, lubricating your hairs and increasing their tendency to slide out of the loose tangles you have painstakingly put them in
- dread wax is really quite tedious and time-consuming to apply “well”, it ruins the lovely sensation of freshly washed dreads you were just enjoying and makes you want to just go wash them all over again
- if your hair isn’t all covered in wax, you will be able to make the first few washes a great deal more gentle and less disruptive.
It’s not very helpful telling someone not to do a thing they feel the need to do, without providing an alternative. If you are taking the sped-up dread journey, starting with backcombing or some other knot-activation, rather than the “natural” journey, you might not have gone through the same mental preparation for maybe not looking so great all the time for a while, and dealing with others’ reactions to your appearance. We are probably only talking about a few weeks of true patience and determination, followed by a couple of months of vague compromise which rapidly turn into a total love of your new hair.
So for this initial short period it’s probably worth being prepared. My first suggestion for those really dreading the early days, to the point where it could either put you off the whole idea or make you reach for a pot of dread wax, is to think about the time of year…(I know this could be redundant if you live in one of those places with no real seasons). If you do your backcombing some time in late autumn, or whenever it’s getting a bit cold out, you can just solve the whole problem with a hat. And if it’s a nice woolly hat, it will even help your dreads to form. By the time it’s warm enough for your dreadies’ grand unveiling, the worst will be over and they’ll be well on their way. Alternatively, if you live in one of those gorgeous places by the sea, backcomb at the beginning of the summer and do plenty of saltwater swimming, as that will tighten your dreads up in no time. Hat and sea possibilities aside, just head-wear and accessories in general are something you should have ready. (I’m starting to feel like some kind of bad T.V. fashion program, lol). A bad-dread-hair day is much easier to disguise than a regular bad-hair day. Also, like I said back in one of my really early posts on considering dreads…people who don’t like dreadlocks will think you look shit regardless of your own perceived state of your dreads, and people who like them will understand, so it’s only yourself you should be trying to please. I don’t mean for this advice to come across as shallow; I’m just being realistic. A lot of people care about how they look, even if it’s just in their own eyes, and the issue is important!
Maybe I should include some pictures from my own wax on/wax off dreadlock journey. Perhaps they will help. Ok, let’s see.
Wax On/Wax Off
This was taken straight after my very first dreadlock wash. I didn’t wash my dreads particularly gently; I couldn’t. Initially I had tried keeping a stocking on them, as per some advice I had found online, but it soon became apparent that the soap simply wasn’t penetrating and cleaning off the wax. I think without any wax, I could have kept the stocking on. I also probably wouldn’t have waited a whole week before washing them. If I was to start my dreads over again, I’d still backcomb, but I would probably wash them every couple of days in the beginning. This way, there would be less dirt to wash off each time, so the washing could be more gentle, and I’d be taking full advantage of the fact that washing your dreads speeds up their knotting and tightening. Obviously I wouldn’t use wax. So, first,
Week One, Before and After the First Dreadlock Wash
In my second week with waxy dreads, we were away for four nights camping in Bergen. (By the way, dreadlocks are THE hair for camping with…as long as there’s no wax on them!). I was using the Dread Head HQ wax, which has a lower melting point than Knotty Boy’s. Five days under a hot summer sun, and four damp nights in a tent on grass that was heavy with dew every morning left my dreads totally minging. If I hadn’t chosen to wax them, I would have felt able to wash my hair whilst at the campsite without the problem of needing a couple of hours to dick around with wax afterwards. Without wax, they may have been on the frizzy side, but at least they wouldn’t have looked like this. I was walking around in public like this! How, really, is that any better than walking around with a bit of frizz disguised by a pretty head band or something? It’s not. These are not pretty pictures.
Dreadlocks in a Waxy Second Week
By the time we got home, my dreads smelled like wet dog, and believe me when I say that smell is not remotely endearing when it’s coming from your own head. This is how they looked (be sure to click full-size and zoom right in…it’s not nice).
Waxy Dirty Dreadlocks by the end of Week 2
Needless to say, I washed the hell out of them the evening we got home. One good thing about Dread Head HQ’s shampoo is that it washes their wax out pretty well, and their wax is easier to shift than Knotty Boy’s. Here’s how my dreads looked after that wash. They felt lovely! And they were still full of upwardsness, with the hairs all wanting to contract with their natural waviness. I think they would have knotted up so fast if only I had let them. What a shame I spent half of the next day putting wax all over them.
Freshly Washed Unwaxed 2-Week-Old Dreadlocks
By the time I washed my hair at the end of the third week, I was already through a whole pot of dread wax. They say to use it sparingly, but it’s actually really hard to apply it in a way that feels thorough enough to feel useful without ending up using loads. This picture shows the transition of week 3 into 4, with only very little wax on my dreads. They look so much thicker and tougher than when they’re fully waxed.
Dreadlocks in Weeks 3 to 4, with very little wax
In the fourth week, my new pot of Knotty Boy wax arrived, and the waxy cycle began again. Sleek and neat huh? So begins the hindrance of my dreads’ progress. Even just the action of applying dread wax drags your hairs downwards, encouraging unravelling.
Week 4 and a new pot of wax
Shown here in the fifth week, when my dreads are clean and dry and not yet waxed, they look really good I think. Why on earth did I feel the need to put wax on these? It was just kinda programmed into my brain. Must wax. Must tip-rub. Or else, no dreads. You can see they’ve started to lengthen and loosen a bit. The Knotty Box wax required some hardcore washing, which was starting to take its toll, but they still have a sort of texture and thickness about them, a toughness which suggests they’d probably have matured so fast if I’d left them to it. So these are dreadlocks at week 5. All these pictures have been of those early weeks that are meant to be so scary. None of these waxless photos show, in my opinion, a reason to rush out and buy a pot of wax for fear of having hair like this.
Unwaxed 5-Week-Old Dreadlocks
Aaaand….wax on! What a surprise. I can’t believe I kept it going this long. Your dreadlocks, after you wash them, feel amazing. After you wax them (with a tedious, time consuming, arm-ache-making process) they feel horrible and all you can think of is washing them.
Dreadlocks at 5 weeks, Waxy again
Here they are at week 6 after being washed. I know it’s normal for dreads to loosen and lengthen a bit in the weeks following their first backcombing, but I really believe, and hopefully you’ll agree, that using wax and having to vigorously wash it out again was not helping.
Week 6 Dreadlocks, post-wash
In the ninth week I decided to join several of my dreads together in pairs or groups of three or four, with the hope of fattening them up and speeding up the knotting process which really seemed to have taken a major downturn, despite having started with such promise. My hair was incredibly well backcombed, to half its original length and less in places.
Joined-up and Waxed Dreads in Week 9
FINALLY, I then decided to quit waxing. Here’s a link to my blog post from that day:
http://dreadblog.amykristiansen.net/archives/56
The start looked good…they were certainly raring to go…lots of natural squiggles and loopies ready to make some knots.
Dreadlocks at weeks 10 to 11, at the beginning of Waxlessness
My dreads really sprang into action after I quit waxing them. They shortened back up by miles as the hairs were able to contract and move around in their natural way, following the tension of their endlessly spiralling and coiled inner structure (almost identical to rope), making squiggles and kinks and loopies and tangles. And it was such a relief not having to arse around with wax for ages each time I washed them.
Dreadlocks at Week 12, Waxless
From this point onwards they just got better and better. This was the beginning of me really feeling like I had dreadlocks. It’s a shame it was unnecessarily delayed, but at least the damage wasn’t long-term 
Well I think that’s basically it. Did any of that make any sense or seem useful in any way? I hope so.
As an afterthought, one other thing that occurred to me whilst I was contemplating these waxy dilemmas. Knotty Boy and Dread Head HQ…the characters they use on their packaging…funky groovy Afro-Caribbean dreadheady types…presumably this is just a sort of nod of respect to one of the branches of the dreadlock’s family tree? Coz I really doubt these images are representative of their target consumers. Their logo should be a scared little white guy. Know what I mean?
Comments
Comment: from soaringeagle
Time: February 1, 2009, 10:16 am
very very well put
i think your awesome
Comment: from sue
Time: February 1, 2009, 8:09 pm
when my time comes…………..your post– and experience with Sachas(with wax) and pauls(no wax) forming dreads- I will go no wax way and my sis will do the backcombing
well written Amy !!!!
Comment: from Emilio
Time: February 2, 2009, 9:55 am
Haha, I can completely relate to the feeling of wanting to wash the wax out right after applying it. I might take you up on the tip regarding the tips (hurr hurr).
Comment: from amybird
Time: February 2, 2009, 10:32 am
Glad it seemed useful. I really hope the wax hasn't caused big problems for Sacha's dreads…and that some of my older naive advice wasn't the source of too many difficulties…
If you need any tips on wax removal, or just anything else to do with dreads from some people with more than 8 months experience, go to the first site on my links page.
It's literally the only site you need for dreadlock info. Apart from mine of course!! hahaha
Comment: from mel
Time: February 3, 2009, 1:10 am
this is my fourth set of dreads - the only one of which i have not used any wax except for the initial back-combing day…. and they’re VERY VERY fuzzy…. but i like the way my hair feels, and how much more TIME I HAVE!!! LOL 
yes. don’t use wax. if you’re dreads are really messy and you cant handle it, go ahead, use a bit for some tidying, but don’t waste your time doing your whole head! i love taking a shower and having clean dry skin, not a sticky film everywhere from all the melting mess coming off my hair!!! i wish i could trade in the 2 containers of wax i have for some $$!!! cuz the only place they’re going is in the garbage!
thanx amy! your blog is awesome!
Comment: from lynn
Time: February 5, 2009, 3:08 am
Once again Amy, your site has been such a boost to my knowledge and peace of mind in growing my dreads. My intial waxing was my last. How the locks shrank! ( to well over half the length). I really felt and look like a freak… I really thought I had the ugliest dreads in the world! You helped me understand its all natural and the process will go on. My dreads still pretty much look like hedgehog poo….but the grey and silver and fuzz seem to suit my soul better than the henna, and cover up jobs of what is just me getting older! No probs with the professional side.. locks tied up I look far tidier and pulled together for my image as nurse than before. Freedom and simplicity is so good. thank-you again….Lynn
Comment: from Amy
Time: February 5, 2009, 10:31 am
Lynn, I keep meaning to email you and see how your dreads are getting on! You always leave me such lovely comments and I keep forgetting to say thank-you!
I’m sure your dreads don’t reeeally look like actual hedgehog poo, hehe and even if they do, there are probably worse poos they could resemble lol
Have you tried any salt-water rinses or similar to help tighten them? It might draw the fuzz in a bit faster if it’s bothering you a lot, and some aloe vera gel could help too. Patience is the main thing though, and I’m sure they’ll be growing up fast before you know it :o)
xx
Comment: from kenchill
Time: February 6, 2009, 10:52 am
Well, have you ever tried crocheting your dreads?
I started my dreads by backcombing + crocheting. The crocheting takes care of the frizz by pulling them into the dread, thus removing the need for wax.
It has already been 21 months between when I started until now and all I used to maintain my dreadlocks is the crochet hook. Well, besides a salt spray and hemp seed oil soap.
Comment: from Amy
Time: February 6, 2009, 12:23 pm
Hey, not sure if that crochet question is directed at me or Lynn, so I’ll write something anyways Hello!
Umm, well at the time I just didn’t know about the crochet option. I’m still a little unclear about the precise details of how one does it. I’ll be using a hook to help pull some dread-balled root frizz into my dreads but that’s it.
Like I said, I’ve not tried the method myself so I can’t completely vouch for this…but I’ve read in a few places that using a crochet hook in the manner I think you mean, can weaken the dreads and cause hair breakage. Also the new hair that grows and dreads itself can take on a completely different look and texture than that which you’ve been working at with a crochet hook, such that you have to keep on doing it forever.
However, this is not based on my own personal experience so I’m really not sure…
Comment: from Ryan
Time: February 8, 2009, 1:47 am
Much thanks, Amy! My wife put my dreads in a week ago, and I had my first washing last night. I am really glad I found your site today, because I think you have convinced me to forgo any more wax. I bought the DreadHeadHQ kit, and the locking accelerator and lock peppa are really nice for speeding things up, but I HATE the way the wax feels. I may break down at some point when they are looking super nasty and clean them up a bit, but only as sparingly as possible.
What method have you found to best tighten up your roots? Right now I have been doing some clockwise-rubbing, and it seems to help quite a bit, but I’m curious as to what you have found that works. Also, if some of my dreads were not backcombed as tightly as others, should I re-backcomb them or just leave them alone? These looser ones are a bit thinner and longer than the tighter, thicker dreads.
Thanks, again for the GREAT diary.
Comment: from Amy
Time: February 8, 2009, 11:18 pm
Hi Ryan,
I’m really glad you’re finding all this helpful. Try to avoid the wax altogether if you can. There is another really good “essay” on wax here:
http://www.dreadlocktruth.com/whynotwax.htm
Absent-minded root twiddling, whenever you’re aren’t doing much else, is a good root-tightener. Don’t let them stress you too much; they will always be a little on the loose side because your hair is always growing, and also you need a bit of finger-access there so you can wash your scalp properly.
You’re only a week into your journey, so the best dread-tightener at the moment is probably time and patience. You could try some tentative re-backcombing, or it might even be best and cause less damage to the hairs to try and comb them all the way back out and start over, if you really think they need it. Everything will come together in the end though, and it’s usually considered best to backcomb only once then leave them. However, I know what it’s like wanting to make each dreadlock work as well as possible, so you gotta follow your own instincts a bit I guess.
Salt-water is an excellent tightener…but you have the Locking Accelerator to do that for now.
Have a look here too:
http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/forumdisplay.php?s=6d47f28b88f652067beda60f3ea47522&f=209
It’s a vast source of info and advice.
Hope some of that helped and made sense
Comment: from kenchill
Time: February 11, 2009, 4:14 am
Hi Amy,
My previous comment wasn’t really directed to anyone in particular, just to everyone who is reading this article and are wondering about wax and other alternatives.
Well, I do not recommend using the crochet hook to tighten the roots as it will make your scalp real tight and might cause hair breakage. The dread will tighten and lock up naturally and there is no need to redread the hair using the hook again. I mainly use the hook to clean up loose hairs and tidy up some parts of the dreadlock.
From me, I have my dreads done and maintain entirely by a crochet hook (well, a comb was needed for backcombing), and I can say that it works superb for me. Washing my hair from day one posed no problems. But, yeah, palm roll is your friend.
Cheers!
Comment: from Debra in Oregon
Time: March 8, 2009, 2:11 am
My third set of dreds, first two w/ wax, this one w/out. I have straight, fine caucasian hair that does NOT want to dred up, btw, and thought the wax was necessary. Not so.
I wanted them to be completely organic w/ no products holding them together. I had an idea in my head about salt and lemon juice, so I goodled up all sorts of combiinations of words: “dreadlocks salt water lemon juice organic fine hair” , etc. Anyway, I did a wash w/ 1/4 C salt in 1C H2O and rinsed w/ equal parts lemon juice and rice vinegar (didn’t have regular vinegar).
My hair seemed to start separating into it’s own small sections (which made me happy…husband agreed to dreds if they were pencil-thin). They used to smell and we thought it was ‘cuz they were big…never thought it might be ‘cuz of the wax. I put in salt (I have salt directly picked up from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah…I swear it’s helped, but idk) and squeezed on a little lemon juice (concentrating on the roots) and backcombed sometimes w/ a comb and sometimes w/ my fingers only.
I went in to this little vegan cafe that I like. The owner has awesome dreds down past his butt, and he commented on how nice mine looked. I said “thanks” and that I’d just started on them. He said “Oh, well looks like they’re at least two months old,” to which I replied “no, two days.”
I palm roll whenever I get a chance, and try to sleep w/ a cotton knit cap. It’s been five days and they look great (though alot shorter). Plz, don’t use wax. I now believe ANY type hair can dred!
Comment: from April
Time: March 9, 2009, 11:11 pm
Every time I ask how to start dreading my hair everyone says to just keep twisting it. I do but it doesn’t work. I need a more detailed explanation of how to start dreading your hair. Also I want thin dreads; not so thick.. Maybe a little thinner then yours. Is it the same process? Please e-mail me back!! –April
Comment: from Amy
Time: March 10, 2009, 10:15 am
Hi April,
Who have you been asking? Have you done much other research yet?
Unless you have very frizzy Afro hair, twisting is not likely to do much. Dreadlocks are knotted hair, and for knots to form, strands of hair need to move and loop up and catch on each other.
If you just stop combing your hair and keep it clean, eventually your hair will dread naturally. However, if you want a little more control over the section size, and less of a wait for things to happen, you could take sections of your hair (about 0.5 of an inch approx for the size you want) and backcomb them, which will help to kick-start knot formation. Have you not read about backcombing in any of your research yet?
I’ll email this to you as well
Comment: from Jordon
Time: March 25, 2009, 8:47 am
So last week we took my girl to the only place that does dreads in town, after alot of money and a little bs she ended up waxing the hell out of her hair and sending us off. it looked rubbish after, and she felt like a human candle. worried that the salon chick didnt backcomb enough we took a “dreadbrush” and backcombed the waxy young dreads, is that helping or hindering the process?
p.s. love the site! wish id found it before she took the plunge…but alas!
Comment: from Amy
Time: March 25, 2009, 9:38 am
Hey Jordan,
What the??! Backcombing waxy dreads doesn’t sound like much fun at all! Oh dear.
Well, what I’d do if I was her, is wash all the wax out (could be a bit tricky), don’t worry about all the backcombing falling out, and just start again WITHOUT salon “help”.
I don’t recommend wax personally and would encourage her to do without it, however I know for some people it’s something they want to use and are able to get on with.
What kind of end result is she wanting from her dreads and what’s her hair type? You can email me if you’d rather not discuss it here, and I’ll see what I can suggest, but I’d rather not go into a big lecture before knowing the individual situation, since the answers are not the same for everyone.
My email address is on the Contact page (obviously you need to remove the spaces and replace ‘at’ with @ )
Hope this has helped and look forward to hearing from you soon
Comment: from Andrew
Time: May 9, 2009, 1:40 pm
Dear Amy.
Me and my bro have been discussing we want to get dreads in our hair. Im on the verge of growing out my hair, but my bro cant since he enlisted in the Army. So I was doing the normal picture research , so I had come across your pictures and I couldnt stop reading your ENTIRE blog hahaha. This has probably nothing to do with the wax, but I just wanted to drop some love on this awesome blog youve put toghether. Your hair kicks ass
-Andrew
Comment: from Amy
Time: May 9, 2009, 2:49 pm
What a nice comment Thanks Andrew. Good luck with your dready journey
Comment: from lucia
Time: May 15, 2009, 9:23 pm
hi,
i just wanted to say that i found your advice sooooo helpful..
when you read up on dreads on the internet you just get so many different opinions about what to do and what not… Ive had my dreads since last january, and i am super happy with them, but they have now turned very uneven and messy and i dont know what to do..
the dreads are all crooked and bunching up and pretty much a mess…
Any tips???
thankyou thankyou thankyou!!!
Comment: from Cody
Time: June 2, 2009, 6:20 pm
Wow I really found your information useful and encouraging. I have been trying to get dreads for years and about four months ago finally tried with the knotty boy wax and kit. I just couldnt get it to work, yet my hair was on the shorter side. By hair is now 7 or so inches long and im ready to try again. I need someone to help me backcomb mainly in the back and on the sides yet i cant find someone with the patience i have to do so the backcombing is weak and really insignificant. I would like to ask you some questions about backcombing and how long you backcombed or how many times per dread and how long your hair was to begin with. this information could really help me out. Im so excited for dreads I just dont have anyone i can trust with my hair to do it yet lol but your dreads look great from the start even with the wax(yet obviously better without the wax) so i would really like to take your approach to things! i hope to hear back from you. if you could email me back at dosercody@yahoo.com. id really appreciate the help! thanks!
Comment: from Elena
Time: June 8, 2009, 2:29 am
Hi Amy
I’m on the verge of getting dreads, but am having SUCH a hard time deciding how to go about doing it. I have thick hair, big curls, a lot of frizz and hair that’s almost down to my butt when it’s straight. I went to a salon that’s been doing dreads for twenty years, and asked them if they could do it without wax. They said they could but of course didn’t recomend it. Now I’m just wondering if it’s worth paying them $200 to backcomb my hair a bit when I could just do it myself. I’m easily persuaded so if I hadn’t come accross your site I would have probably let them do it with wax. THANK YOU!! I’ll probably end up doing another few days of research, but would really love your opinion/advice on how I should start up. Thanks again
Cherio
Comment: from Amy
Time: June 8, 2009, 9:27 am
Hi Elena
Pleeeeeeeeease don’t pay anyone to do your dreads!!
Your hair sounds like it would dread by itself if you left it for a while, but if you want more control from the start I’d suggest sectioning it and using the twist and rip method - it’s easier on the arms and quicker than backcombing, and with your hair type I think you probably only need to give it a little encouragement to get the knots happening.
Think what a short time dread wax has been around compared to how long people have had dreads; you definitely don’t need to wax. The salon’s main reason for wanting to is probably coz they can’t really let you walk out with a head of frizz!
Comment: from Cody
Time: June 8, 2009, 5:55 pm
Wow I really found your information useful and encouraging. I have been trying to get dreads for years and about four months ago finally tried with the knotty boy wax and kit. I just couldnt get it to work, yet my hair was on the shorter side. By hair is now 7 or so inches long and im ready to try again. I need someone to help me backcomb mainly in the back and on the sides yet i cant find someone with the patience i have to do so the backcombing is weak and really insignificant. I would like to ask you some questions about backcombing and how long you backcombed or how many times per dread and how long your hair was to begin with. this information could really help me out. Im so excited for dreads I just dont have anyone i can trust with my hair to do it yet lol but your dreads look great from the start even with the wax(yet obviously better without the wax) so i would really like to take your approach to things!
Comment: from Amy
Time: June 8, 2009, 6:38 pm
Hi Cody,
I think I forgot to reply to a couple of comments this past week… sorry about that!
The length my hair was to begin with can be seen in my gallery. It was down to my nipples I guess at the longest point, and about jaw length at the shortest. My husband spent two days backcombing my hair really tight and thoroughly… but you don’t HAVE to do this.. what’s your hair like? Fine, curly, thick etc? Do you want your dreads to looks really tight and perfect immediately, or are you ok having a few months of frizzy mess etc?
Comment: from Amy
Time: June 8, 2009, 6:40 pm
Lucia I don’t think I replied to you either!
Sounds like your dreads are just doing what they’re meant to do. They’ll go crazy for a while, then they’ll settle, and the lumps and bumps will become part of the overall texture. Glad you’re finding this site helpful… I really should write a new post some time soon!!
Comment: from Cody
Time: June 8, 2009, 7:36 pm
thank you for replying amy =) my hair is very curly, like shirley temple style and i would like to have good looking dreads as soon as possible. which is what draws me to your dreads so much as yours look great immediately and just keep getting better. my hair is also very very thick which is what makes it so hard to section on my own especially in the back as it just a curly mess lol you think a salon would just section my hair for cheap? or any adivce? thanks =)
Comment: from Amy
Time: June 8, 2009, 7:53 pm
Hey Cody,
So if your hair is 7 inches long and really curly, does that mean it’s 7 inches when pulled out straight or is it actually longer?
Either way… first of all, the fact that it’s curly and has that natural tendency to retract and pull upwards means it’s gonna dread up faster; you won’t need to backcomb it so tightly (you could try the twist and rip method also). It probably won’t take very much tangling to start the knots off.
With regards to the sectioning… if I was to start my dreads again I wouldn’t waste a load of time trying to section them all neatly first because it turns out to be fairly pointless. Just grab a clump of hair, backcomb/twist&rip it, and move on to the next clump.
You’ll have to resign yourself to looking at least a tiny bit stupid at the very beginning… but you can always disguise the mess with hats or head bands or something.
Comment: from Cody
Time: June 8, 2009, 8:15 pm
lol thank you =) and ya i figured hats would be my best friend for the first month or two to say the least. but as my hair is so curly and i cant style it anyhow they already are. To answer your question seven inches when pulled straight, comes to about the bottom of my chin. I may let it grow a few inches longer if this would make the process any easier? I’ve read online many people with longer hair have an easier time to star t with and cleaner looking dreads at the start. So grow it out to eight or nine inches? maybe longer if i can stay patient lol but only if this would make a difference if im just delaying the process I’m ready to start now with the seven inches or so. Any suggestions or ideas on that? I really do just love the way your dreads look even at the beginning and im guessing it was due to the tight backcombing. So any suggestions you have im willing to take to heart =)
Comment: from Amy
Time: June 8, 2009, 8:21 pm
If your hair is kinda a pain in the bum either way, you probably may as well just go ahead and start dreading… What happens if you don’t do anything at all to your hair, like if you just washed it with a residue-free shampoo and did not one other thing to it? How soon would it start catching on itself and sectioning into knotty bits? I know it’s a bit dumb suggesting the neglect route to you, but am still curious.
Comment: from Cody
Time: June 8, 2009, 8:32 pm
hum….good question. my hair is pretty damaged free i dont condition or anything like that but do as you mentioned above just wash it and nothing else. i let it style itself on top of my head or just pull it back and tuck it under my hat. however i have never noticed any tangling starting on its own except in really small areas, as in maybe 1/8 of in an inch of hair and it would take at least three months. The curls kinda stick to themselves and are almost sections on there own for dreading if they werent so small. but the curls are so clean, not in a i wash my hair all the tie clean but so clean in a sense that the curls always have the same shape it takes alot for my hair to really tangle. At least at this length. I’ve never had it much longer than it is right now cept maybe once in the past and only by an inch at the most.
Comment: from Cody
Time: June 8, 2009, 8:34 pm
also, i noticed you talking in your galleries section to someone about crocheting the dreads. what is your take on this? it seems a quick way to get things started but as you mentioned a few times the long term effects could be dangerous. I’d rather have great dreads for a long time rather than them falling out lol
Comment: from Amy
Time: June 8, 2009, 8:38 pm
I’m really not sure about crocheting. I think if it’s done with the kind of obsessiveness required to keep dreads “perfect” (e.g. not much like dreads, in a way) then you end up on a slippery slope to more and more snapped hairs and sticking out bits and just a load of work for what is meant to be such an easy hair style. And once they’ve matured naturally, without lots of broken hairs to stick out at all angles, they can probably end up smoother in some ways. Using a small hook to thread through the odd stray bits here and there can be useful, but no big deal really.
Comment: from eddie
Time: July 7, 2009, 6:26 am
I had dreads when I was 18 for a short while, but I found showering a pain because my hair would be wet for hours after. I still backcomb my hair and have been tempted to get them back, but I’m not sure if I’m up for it.
Still, your dreads look awesome, you really suit them.
Comment: from Adam
Time: July 20, 2009, 12:39 am
So what products would you recommend in lieu of wax? Aloe vera gel?
Comment: from Amy
Time: July 20, 2009, 9:30 am
I dunno….I’d be more inclined to say just stick it out. Salt-water helps to speed up tightening, as does washing. There will always be a few loose hairs so it’s best to get used to them I think.
(By the way….I know there are lots of people’s comments I haven’t replied to yet…but I haven’t forgotten! )
Comment: from Amy
Time: July 21, 2009, 7:57 pm
Hey Eddie….
What do you mean you still backcomb your hair? Maybe I’ve mis-read what you typed? You still backcomb regularly but don’t have dreads? Did you mean that you WOULD backcomb again if you decided to have dreads again?
And yes, drying time is a pain, especially in cold weather.
I’m trying to reply to everyone’s comments…. if I’ve missed any of you, feel free to let me know!:)
Comment: from eddie
Time: July 23, 2009, 6:17 am
i still backcomb it to get the volume i want. http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs189.snc1/6360_133033480341_508355341_3557499_4064423_n.jpg
like that
Comment: from Shaun
Time: August 4, 2009, 8:54 pm
hello,
ok so i have 7-8 inch long curly hair.. how much do you think my dreads will shrink up becuase told me that they will barely shrink up becuase i have wavy/curly hair
Comment: from Amy
Time: August 4, 2009, 9:02 pm
I think it depends a little bit on how they are started. E.g. if you backcombed them really really tight, they’d be partially pre-shrunk, whereas if you went natural, or lightly twisted and ripped, their natural tendency to curl and contract could probably draw them upwards a lot as the hair knotted, so you could get a lot of shrinkage.
No 100% definite answer really. How are you planning to grow your dreads?
Comment: from Shaun
Time: August 4, 2009, 11:42 pm
yeah, iam backcombing them really tight so it makes it easier in the beginning, iam planning to grow them long like 14-16 inchs and then i would trim them to keep at the desires length
Comment: from amy
Time: August 5, 2009, 8:12 am
Well even the tightest backcombing is gonna loosen out a little with washing, so be prepared for a bit of shrinkage either way. Your curly should knot up pretty fast though Good luck!
Comment: from Shaun
Time: August 10, 2009, 9:40 am
thank you so much :]
and your dreads are beautiful
Comment: from Mark
Time: September 18, 2009, 4:29 am
Gah, I look at your pictures and I just wanna say screw it all and dread my hair!
But then again I’m also a little worried it won’t work.
I have pretty thin hair,
well I think its thin,
some say its medium.
I’m convinced to not use wax,
at all.
I want to do it in December,
whether I lose my job or not.
I was wondering if you have used any dread gel?
and if so whats your opinion on it?
Comment: from Max
Time: September 27, 2009, 7:19 pm
Hi! Great blog!
I had my dreads done yesterday.
Unfortunately I missed the whole No-wax thing I’ve later found all over the internet.
I know a good advice would be to redo them, but i have a really soar scalp so it hurts like hell =P
Therefore i just had to ask:
If i do not use any more wax, will the wax i put in yesterday still be able to do harm or can i keep it like this and the wax will come off when i wash them?
Peace and Love!! MAx
Comment: from Amy
Time: September 27, 2009, 9:09 pm
Mark,
No, I never used dread gel. I used aloe vera gel a couple of times to help a bit with frizzies, but can’t be bothered to care about all that anymore. I’d say that anything marketed as “dread”something is a bit of a rip-off. Just get used to having a groovy low-maintenance hair-do and don’t worry about stuff too much
Max,
The wax will get washed out over time; maybe do some extra hot washes. You could probably squeeze some of the wax out onto a towel too if you get it melty with a hair-dryer first. Some people suggest boiling water, but I’m not a fan of that idea myself!
Comment: from Elena
Time: September 27, 2009, 9:59 pm
shit! I just wrote a rather long write up and erased it. Oh well here goes again.
I finally started dreading my hair two to three months ago by mostly back-combing. I’m a huge procrastonator so it took me a couple of weeks to get most of them done and then the rest ended up kind of dreading itself. I have very little time between school, work and taekwondo so I haven’t touched my hair in like a month, but the back has been dreading itself really fast regardless. For a while I had to rip my dreads appart a couple of times a day to keep them from turning into a giant ball. The front on the other hand is kind of falling appart, probably cuz I keep my hair up so often. I’m also notorious for getting really bad loops in inconvenient places. Honestly though, I don’t mind that my hair is a big frizzy mess, on the good days it looks pretty cool and I get lots of complements, and on the bad days I look like crap, but what can you do right? So my hair could be dreading much faster, but I’m super happy that it’s dreading itself without much effort at all. Winter is approaching so I’ll just wear lots of wool toques then and hopefully that will help.
btw. In case a billlion people haven’t thought of this yet, after breaking ten plastic combs and going on a failed goose chase for a dreading comb, I bought a dog comb, and it works wonders.
Thanks for all the advice
Cherio
Comment: from Daniel
Time: September 30, 2009, 2:29 am
I’m 18, I’ve been growing my hair out for about 6 months now and I think in about another month or so it will be time to start the dreads. I have messy curly hair, that tends to section off into clumps by itself when it gets dirty. I’ve messed around with twisting then “backrubbing” ( basically backcombing the outside layer of hair with my fingers) tiny portions of my hair and it looked okay.
Is my hair too short to have decent looking dreads now? how long should i wait for it to get before I start the dreads.
here are some pictures of my hair for your perusal.
Comment: from Daniel
Time: September 30, 2009, 2:30 am
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w120/ichthuz/Photo11.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w120/ichthuz/Photo10.jpg
Comment: from Amy
Time: September 30, 2009, 8:23 am
Hi Daniel,
If your hair is already inclined to clump itself up, you should probably take advantage of that and start letting it dread up naturally now. Wash with a residue-free shampoo and avoid conditioners, or switch to just washing with water (which I’ve been doing for some months now and it’s good!). Try to avoid running your fingers through your hair too much or doing anything that would cause the first knots to come out again. Once it starts clumping and knotting up, you can separate/”rip” the bigger clumps into section sizes that you like.
Or just backcomb/twist & rip sections of it now. Either way, you should just go ahead and let it start happening, and since you have hair that seems to want to knot it would be cool to take advantage of that by choosing the easiest (e.g. natural) route.
Hope that helps!
Comment: from Jaybo
Time: October 7, 2009, 7:08 am
Amy,
First off, as many others have mentioned, this is superbly informative and i must say you’ve got some very heady dreads, so thank you very much. My dreads are coming on two months now and are doing well (especially considering i have waxed give or take half a dozen times), yet this blog makes me realize how much better they could be. But that is irrelevant. I have a few questions: how did you bring two or more dreads together to make them bigger? any technique you recommend? also, i love your dye job and was wondering if you dyed your hair before or after dreads because i want to dye a couple here and there. How would you recommend going about this and would you recommend and particular products. Lastly, would you recommend sleeping with a wool hat on? Thanks again and much love.
Comment: from Scott
Time: October 20, 2009, 10:19 am
Hey Amy
First off, incredibly glad i came across your blog and was reassured through pictures and thorough descriptions as to why not to use wax with dreadlocks. I know a few places who do organic dreadlocks.. no wax at all, which is what ive been considering..
However im Caucasian and have very dry hair with alot of split ends, although my hair is quite thick too.. the concern i have is the dreadlocks will just look like one giant ball of frizzyness without the use of wax..?
Comment: from Amy
Time: October 20, 2009, 10:43 am
Jaybo,
Coz my dreads were still very loose when I decided to join them, I just kinda backcombed them together a bit and secured them with elastic bands until they had mingled. This wouldn’t work with mature dreads though unless you decided to completely comb two out then combine them, and probably isn’t the kind of method I should be recommending even though it worked for me.
If you just join them at the root with a bead or some twine they will start joining, or you can sew or wrap them together with cotton/twine/silk etc.
I dyed my hair before and after dreads…because I had hair before and after dreads! lol If you get the colour up-to-date just before your dreads start then you won’t have to disrupt them too much for a while until you’re next due to dye.
I personally would not recommend sleeping with a wool hat on because I’d get too hot :p Give it a try and find out.
Scott,
Your dreads aren’t gonna look wonderful for a little while whatever you do. You can use aloe vera gel to smooth down some of the frizz. Hats and head bands are also useful. My hair was dry with lots of split ends, but I don’t think that was the reason for looking shit for a while!
Comment: from Jason
Time: October 27, 2009, 11:56 pm
Hey just like to say i love the dreads and have one question. I got bone straight hair down to my waist and have grown tired of it. A few weeks ago i started getting dreads but as you can tell backcombing that much hair takes a lot of time so i only got a couple workin my way up. A couple are tight at the tips and bases but the middle seems loose, the only reason i was considerin wax was to keep them even. Is there any way could help me out or will they just naturally even out?
Comment: from Amy
Time: October 28, 2009, 12:25 am
Hi Jason,
Wax won’t help them to even out. It might disguise things a bit, but in the end you have to just let your hair do its thing. Whatever “method” you use to grow dreads, there will be a period where they aren’t “done” yet, so just be patient Have you tried twisting & ripping instead of backcombing? It’s not such hard work and still gives nice results. It only takes a few knots here and there for all the other hairs to start catching on each other and getting pulled into the dread, so you don’t need to worry about making them super tight and uniform from the beginning, you just need to kick-start some tangles and the rest will happen by itself Wax isn’t the answer Hope that helped a bit.
Comment: from Jason
Time: October 28, 2009, 12:47 am
Alright thanks im just gonna let em go and wait
Comment: from jodie
Time: October 30, 2009, 12:18 pm
hey there
came across your website!! which is very cool i might say..ive been thinking about dreading my hair for sooooooooooooo long!!! but so many people say NO dont do it.. arrrggggggg i dont know what to do?? how do i start the process sum ppl say back combe and wax some backcombe and perm solution? can u help please u seem like the dreadlock queen lol x
Comment: from Amy
Time: October 30, 2009, 1:09 pm
Hi Jodie
Well, you should do what you want; it’s your hair. Also, dreads are not irreversible. Even tight ones come apart alarmingly easily with lots of conditioner. Choice of method is mostly down to how patient you are. If you stop using combs and conditioners now, eventually your hair will knot into dreads by itself. It takes many months, but the results are often the best, and you don’t need to waste time on maintenance. Avoid methods like perms which cause unnecessary damage, and don’t part with any money! If you want some control over dread size from the beginning you should divide it into sections, and either backcomb or twist & rip them to get the knots started, then just leave them to it.
It’s an easy low-maintenance hairstyle, so don’t allow product-selling websites to bully you into feeling you must buy lots of products and perform lots of tedious routines in order to have dreads.
Hope that helps a bit.
By the way - if I’ve missed anyone’s comments and you still are waiting for an answer, feel free to bug me with an email: amybird8 at hot mail dot com
Comment: from mark swanton
Time: October 31, 2009, 4:53 pm
Day 2, sticky oiley tiny dreads sized length 4 - 5 inches @ 7mm - 1cm thick.
ur right about the dread head stuff beiong hard to shift.
i just ordered some dread pepper is that still usfull?, i hear positive things about it.
im still worried about them with me not waxing so early in the game
Comment: from Amy
Time: December 3, 2009, 3:00 pm
Hello Mark,
Just realised I never replied to this. I guess you’ve answered your own question by now?! Eek, sorry…
Comment: from Ove
Time: December 21, 2009, 1:03 am
wow 
nydelig hår, nydelig jente ^^
Comment: from DeeMon
Time: January 1, 2010, 6:47 pm
Many valid points brought up in this post. I must thank you for posting it! I’ve just got my dreads again for the 5th time in my life. (I’ve had jobs and what not that made me lose them in the past. But luckily now I’m free to knot away!)
I’ve tried a barrage of products, remedies and tools in my locks throughout my experience to get them to tighten. I agree that wax can be a residue that could hinder the process, but through experience and routine i’ve personally found it to help heaps.
I usually go through a dry stage of maybe a week or two, where I wash my dreads, salt them up (ocean or spray and palm roll them every spare moment my poor hands have.) Go through a crocheting stage (which I constantly hear is not recommended) Then The following week or so I keep them slightly waxed. Each cycle I go throagh I notice a “massive” difference in their tightening. I think it could be due to the dry stage allowing the locks to shift and form friction, and then the wax staged holding my (straight) hair into place and allowing the hair to create a new “fold”. I think the wax gives the hair some time to form a new bend shape and in turn help the locking process. EIther way, im not sure exactly why (I’m no hair follacle scientist hobbling madly to my microscope), but it seems to do the trick with my hair type. (Thin and straight).
I’d be interested to hear the scientific facts behind hair and the knotting process. Would be more than happy to show you some shots of my previous locks with the above routine. It worked for me, but likely not for everyone. Our locks seem to be as individual as us. (Which is cool)
Thanks again for the info and a good read. Look fwd to more shots of you locks.
Knot on,
Dee
Comment: from Duke
Time: January 12, 2010, 9:16 am
your story is amazing… ive been searching the web for days and finally found someone that kept a week to week blog and discription of how there dreads transformed. i really need some tips about what i should do with my hair. i want to know if my hairs long enough and what you did to make your dreads so bad ass. I also need to know what pattern i need to break my hair up into to make my dreads look legit. please write back it would do me a whole lot of good. thank you
Comment: from Matt P
Time: January 25, 2010, 4:35 am
I agree with some points and disagree with others. To start. a jar of wax is definitely too much for 4 weeks!! My dreads were about 3 inches longer than yours when I backcombed and i didnt even use half of my jar (dreadheadhq) in 4 months, which is the point at which i stopped waxing. I did not stop waxing because i thought it was damaging my dreads. Just because they are now mature enough to go without any wax. I am happy i used wax for sure, and I recommend all dreadheadhq products!
Comment: from D-Zid
Time: February 4, 2010, 2:46 am
Great advice for using/not using wax!
I remember when i started out with my dreads, i waxed them from day one, by their 8th month i decided to stop using wax.. After managing to wash most of the wax out they were barely holding together, which resulted in them looking like they were back in day 1 and that I’d just started the back combing process again. (slight exaggeration, but not by much, they really did look bad!)
I ended up blindly cutting them off in frustration. Ten months ago i started my wax free dreads, which have matured pretty nicely. Well all but the tips, can’t seem to stop them from frizzing up every other day!
Anyway, thanks for posting this, was a great read!
Comment: from Z-Balm
Time: February 26, 2010, 6:55 am
Do you ever have an issue with itching from say oil build up or anything of that nature? and if not how exactly do you clean them properly is it just like cleaning normal hair, or perhaps is there some delicate technique to it? one more question: is it really true that the “dreading” process takes anywhere from 6 to 8 months? PLEASE RESPOND, by the way, thanks for the awesomely factual blog.
Comment: from Jon
Time: March 2, 2010, 3:34 am
hey thanks for the post, you reminded me why i never waxed my first set of dreads apart from several years after i had them put in, one wax is all you need, now what am i gonna do with this tub of beeswax. I know, i’ll just dread other people’s hair too
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